Mill for grinding grain



E. RIPLEY.

Grain Mill.

Patented Dec. 25, 1855.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EZRA RIPLEY, OF TROY, NET/V YORK.

MILL FOR GRINDING GRAIN, 8w.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 13,996, dated December 25, 1855.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EZRA RIPLEY, of Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mills for Grinding Grain and other Substances; and I do here by declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the mill, Fig. 2 is a vertical section, and Figs. 3 and 4 represent modifications of my invention, the same letters having reference to like parts in each of the figures.

The nature of my invention and that which distinguishes it from other inventions in grain and grinding mills consists in combining with a rotary grinding or crushing cylinder, or plates, one or more grinding or crushing cylinders or surfaces, which have a partially rotating reciprocating motion in opposite directions given to them by suitable mechanical devices, the combination being for the purpose of a grinding, crushing, or cutting mill.

By this combination and its operation I am enabled to feed the grain, or substance to be acted upon by the mill, in a regular and nearly' intermittent succession of quantities, automatically adapted to the speed of the grinding surfaces of the mill.

This method of feeding and grinding, obviates completely all liability of the mill to choke or clog in feeding or grinding even with damp or wet grain, and also dispenses with a hopper feed.

In order to enable others to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its -construction and operation.

A A is the frame work of the mill.

B is the feed box; C, the discharge spout.

D is the main grinding rotating cylinder, constructed of iron, or bur mill stone, or of any suitable material, when made of cast iron the grinding surface of this cylinder is formed of a series of ribs, floats or ridges, cast upon chills, and afterward nicked out, or broken into a ragged edge, by a hammer or cold chisel, thereby forming a sharp and durable grinding surface (for which process of making grinding surfaces for mills a patent was granted to me in year 1851).

E is a smaller cylinder, having its grinding surface constructed the same as that of D; and arranged so that its cylindrical grinding surface, shall be parallel with the cylindrical grinding surface of the main cylinder; the distance of the two surfaces apart, being regulated by the coarseness or fineness required of the substance ground. This cylinder E has given to it, by suitable mechanical devices, hereafter described, a partially rotating reciprocating motion in opposite directions, or, in other words, downward and upward, for the purpose of feeding the grain or substance to be ground, in the manner as above described, and partially or coarsely grinding the same. The devices for giving the cylinder E its peculiar motion, is as follows: The end of the shaft of the main grinding cylinder D, is provided with two or more cams (b b) which act upon a lever (d) attached to the shaft (6) of the cylinder E. Partially wound around the shaft is an elastic cord or a spring (f), which, when the cams act upon the end of the lever so as to partially rotate the cylinder E downward and extend or stretch the elastic cord or spring (f), when the cam has passed the end of the lever the spring being at liberty to act, contracts to its original proportions, and at the same time partially rotates the cylinder E upward, thereby obtaining a partially rotating, reciprocating motion as above described. This device for giving the cylinder E its peculiar motion in regard to the grinding cylinder D can be varied, and the same motions still be obtained for the cylinder, as will be seen by any experienced machinist, the arrangement of a main, grinding cylinder with but one, having a partially rotating reciprocating motion, as above described, being for grinding coffee, feed &c. When required to grind very fine, as corn meal, wheat meal, &c., another, or more grinding cylinders, having a partially rotating reciprocating motion can be added to the combination, or else one, or more, having a continuous rotatory motion, as shown by the red lines Fig. 2, can be used, which by proper gaging with the main cylinder, will increase the grinding surface, sufiiciently to grind as fine as desired.

Fig. 3 represents a modification of my invention, or its adaptation to a rotating plate grinding surface.

F is a cast iron circular plate having its grinding surface formed in the same manner as the cylindrical grinder. Upon the surface of this plate is arranged one, or more, cone shaped grinding cylinders, having a partially rotating reciprocating motion given to them by devices the same as those employed in the cylindrical mill, as above described, and operating and grinding upon the same principle embraced in the combination first described.

Still, another modification of my invention may be made, by arranging tWo con-' Which is a top or plan View. By using this modification I double the grinding capacity, and at very little additional expense in constructing the mill.

Having fully described my invention, and its several modifications, I have necessarily described old parts, in connection With my invention in orderto give a clear idea of it, and a mode of putting the same into practice. Therefore I do not Wish to be understood as claiming as new, the combination of tWo or more cylinders for grinding When such cylinders have each of them a continuous rotary motion, but

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

Combining With a continuous rotating grinding cylinder or plates, one, or more, grinding cylinders, Which have a partially rotating reciprocating motion in opposite directions given to it, or them, by the cams, lever, and spring, as herein described, (or by other analogous devices, for the same purpose); the combination being substantially in the manner and for the purposes, as herein set forth.

EZRA RIPLEY.

Witnesses:

N. S. VEDDER, J. J. SAVAGE. 

